Weird death...

[Mvan42]

Ok so we came home yesterday for work/school. My son let his chickens out. They were all fine. We visited the in laws for about an hour or so. They are right next door from us. We can hear if something alarming was going on at our house. They girls are very vocal.. but we heard nothing. But there has been a hawk flying around at times... any way. My son went out to close the coop and found one in the yard dead. No signs of injury. She was still slightly warm but legs and neck we stiff..

Any ideas what could have happened. Both cats were inside. No dogs. It is weird. They have plenty of water and feed, oyster shells.. no signs of being sick or anything she was normal when he let them out. Just 3 hours before...

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

If you didn't see the cause of death, then there isn't much you can do. Just make sure they are all healthy so you can rule out illness. If you said they were distressed, it suggests that something attacked them. The one you found might've had a broken neck if it had no external injuries, especially if it's neck and legs were still. They shouldn't be stiffening until a few hours after death, which suggests spinal injury. It might've ran into something to escape the predator, or maybe the predator did grab it (you missed an injury maybe) and snapped its neck. Who knows.

 

[Mvan42]

I am for sure there wasn't an injury.. and no distress from the others.. I know I will never know but wanted to check here. I felt the neck and look the body over twice. Not a single feather out of place.. she was a good broody mama too..

 

[topochico225]

Unless you get a necropsy done and there are no obvious signs of injury/trauma, it can be near impossible to find out a cause of death. I had a pullet drop dead suddenly in January with no warning, sent her off for a necropsy, and found out she died of Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome.